I understand what Uncle is saying. Like Glenn, I have lived overseas. When my parents arrived in Spain, Francisco Franco's fascist regime was on its way out but communists were still viewed as outlaws, acting mostly as an underground movement. Some of them became our apartment neighbors.

Having escaped from a communist country, (Cuba) they were suspicious of my parents because of fear that someone would rat them out. After Franco died and all political parties were legalized, the tensions lessened. One lady who had fled Chile after Salvador Allende's downfall became friends with my mom and brought her son over to play with me even though their political loyalties were complete opposites.

Funny thing is, I wasn't subjected to prejudice until we returned to the U.S. Spaniards were not hostile to Americans in the 70's. In fact, many Americans vacationed, worked, and studied there. Spanish citizens were very eager to follow our lead in all sort of ways, especially the younger generation. Everyone was Disco dancing and watching Star Wars at the cinema.

Here in the States, I wasn't asked to do stuff like "go back to Cuba" only after I'd started second grade. And it wasn't just Anglo kids but some non-Cuban Hispanics who distrusted Cubans. I got along fine with Asians and African-Americans. My best friend in high school was Turkish. (Would I have stopped contacting him after 9/11? Of course not, the dude ended up working for Goldman Sachs!) In time, I managed to win the hostiles over a bit by ignoring their taunts and treating them as equals. (Although I did smack a guy one time when it got to be too much. He just laughed it off and stopped taunting me.)

The thing is, I'm a United States citizen by way of birth through immigration, just like anyone who isn't of Native American descent. Had my parents not become political exiles, I might not even be here right now. My parents might have been jailed or killed before they were married. I've lived in a lot of places and met too many people from various cultures to avoid adopting a global perspective. Take it from me: If you touch base with folks by sharing similar interests, you'll find that racial barriers are very easy to tear down.

At the end of the day, we all breathe the same air. It's how we deal with each other in the meantime that counts.

I do agree that travel widens the mind. I learned that lesson when I went away to college in another state for a few years. When I came back, after having met so many diverse people (including a lot of Cuban ex-pats, Clutch, 'cause I went to college in Miami), I had real troubles dealing with the stereotypes some of my friends who stayed in my home town still had about people they've never met.

_________________Leave it up to a billionaire to buy the world some time --- Tony Stark

Normally, I would've been in first or second period, senior year of high school on September 11, 2001. However, God had a different plan.

Earlier that summer, my mother had been diagnosed with colon cancer. It just so happened that they were going to perform surgery to remove the cancer on September 11, 2001.

There I sat, in the waiting room of the hospital, watching "Today" with my father and grandmother, thinking what a long day it was going to be and worrying about what the doctors would find - and if they'd be able to remove all of the cancer.

"Today" cut to the story about a plane crashing into one of the Towers. I'll admit, at first, I thought it was some dumbass pilot who didn't know where he was going and shrugged it off. Then I actually watched the second plane make impact. Obviously, something was up.

When I watched the first Tower fall...it was like a hollow feeling. I didn't know what to think or feel or worry about. On the one hand, this was obviously an event that would have an impact on all of our lives as Americans forever...and on the other hand, I had my mother, under the knife, maybe losing a battle with cancer - which would definitely affect me in a more direct way.

When Mom came out of surgery, she was a mess under all the anesthesia, and I tried to explain it to her, but she didn't get it. Too doped up. I took off school the following day, too, because of everything that had happened. School was pretty empty, according to my friends, so I wasn't missing much...all I could do is watch television. Mom and I finally had the conversation, and we realized that she had gone to sleep in one world and woken up in a completely different one.

I saw the new plans for the site today. I guess I saw them before, but they didn't really register until today. For the most part, I like what they're planning. The reflecting pools where the tower footprints are is a nice touch. I just don't understand why it's taking more than a FRICKING DECADE to build the damn thing. This should have been done years ago.

Ah, well. Better late than never.

I'm just glad we didn't get hit today. I figured there was a good chance we would. And killing Osama this year is a nice gift for the survivors on this 10th year of remembrance.

But I'm already seeing the writing on the wall. My students this year either don't remember it at all or barely do. Of course, they would have been 4 or 5 when it happened so . . .

Time marches on, for better or for worse.

_________________Leave it up to a billionaire to buy the world some time --- Tony Stark

As I mentioned in another forum earlier this weekend, I'm here in NYC this weekend attending a friend of mine's wedding. So I got the opportunity to see ground zero on Friday night after my wife and I took in Time Square... It was a really somber experience for us. Although it wasn't open to the public when we went, we peeked through the fences and spoke to one of the security personnel. He was more than willing to give us a breakdown of exactly what has transpired with the construction, and the significance of each building. Ground Zero is no where near completion, but what is complete is awe inspiring.

I have such an odd mix of feelings around this time of year. Because even though I'm a US Army veteran, and served my country proudly, I don't get this jingoistic, chest thumping swell of pride surrounding these events anymore. I just feel, sad...

When I look back on 2001, for me, was such a terrible year. It was the year I divorced my first wife, which to say the least was a very, very difficult time. After the divorce, 9/11 happened, while I was starting a new job. During the winter afterwards, and I had to go to New York for 6 months for the new job. It was lonely, cold and sad time to be away from my family and it was a scary time, 'cause folks felt at that time as if another attack could come at any moment.

During my time in New York, I encountered a lot of ignorance and racism. I'm Hispanic with olive skin, and everybody there mistook me for a Middle Eastern guy. Many an argument I had with New Yorkers on the street because of that. I'd argue that I'm Hispanic, a U.S. Citizen, born and raised in the country, a veteran who served my country in the Navy, and didn't deserve that kind of disrespect. The events of 9/11 hurt me the same as every other American. I thought that in the 21st century in this country, we'd have gotten past all that, but I guess I was wrong. I was very happy to leave New York at the end of my 6 months and honestly have not been back in 10 years.

So when I think of 9/11, all these feelings and thoughts come back. It's important to remember the victims who lost their lives and those who've fought for this country to keep it safe so something like this never happens again. It's also a tough period of my life I'd just rather forget.

I finally got to see the site again this summer. The reflecting pools and the new buildings are coming along nicely. The area around it is a massive mess of temporary construction, but that will change eventually. I can't wait to see what the site looks like by the 15th anniversary. Massive crowds trying to get in when I went. Heartening to see so many want to pay their respects.

At school today, it's another story. The kids I teach simply don't relate to it. Granted, most of them were 4 or 5, so you can hardly blame them, but I think I finally understand the disconnect one gets from youth as one gets older. My father and mother never forgot where they were and what they were doing when JFK was shot, and I just didn't understand how a memory of a tragedy could be so indeliable in one's mind so many years later.

Now I do. I will never forget 9/11. But to future generations it will simply be another paragraph in a textbook that never gets read.

And that makes me sad.

_________________Leave it up to a billionaire to buy the world some time --- Tony Stark

At school today, it's another story. The kids I teach simply don't relate to it. Granted, most of them were 4 or 5, so you can hardly blame them, but I think I finally understand the disconnect one gets from youth as one gets older. My father and mother never forgot where they were and what they were doing when JFK was shot, and I just didn't understand how a memory of a tragedy could be so indeliable in one's mind so many years later.

Now I do. I will never forget 9/11. But to future generations it will simply be another paragraph in a textbook that never gets read.

And that makes me sad.

I can relate to this. This is our generation's Pearl Harbor or JFK assassination. I remember reading about these past events in history class and feeling that disconnect. Now, every 9/11, I always remember back to that day when I was coming come from work that morning, remember seeing the towers fall as I turned on the TV. Horrible, horrible day. Saw a documentary on it yesterday. Is it me or does the towers falling look more horrible every year that you see it? It just boggles the mind how horrible that day was, sometime, I can't wrap my mind around it.

Anyway, we talk a lot about superheroes on these forums, but you know, the police, the firefighters, the EMTs, many of whom lost their lives on that day, they are the real heroes. Yes, the world is a more danerous place today, but you know, we have great Americans who have risen to the occassion. Thank God for them!

Sounds like we were both in bad places at the time Krypton. I've never retold this story to anyone, but I was less than compassionate when I heard the news initially. My mind wasn't in a good place. I had 2 failed marriages by the time I was 30. I was 35 at the time this happened, working a dead in retail department manager position and living with my girlfriend. So when she called me about it my reply was, "How does this affect me", which was the $#!%est thing a person could say I think. My girlfriend is now my wife and I thank her for her patience when it comes to me. I wasn't always a nice person to her or myself for that matter. Which is why every year since then I have a bittersweet when the anniversary comes around.

Having those lovely animals kill some people at our embassies yesterday just pours more salt in the wound.

And over some amateur nothing film that was shot and leaked onto the internet. They act like some major movie studio greenlit that thing. At this point, I think all money going to help foreign countries just needs to stop.